Sandpipers are a large family,
Scolopacidae, of
waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as
curlew and
snipe. The majority of these species eat small
invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of
bills enable different species to feed in the same
habitat, particularly on the
coast, without direct competition for food.